Phlox plant named ‘Wendy House’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Phlox  plant named ‘Wendy House’ characterized by its upright and compact plant habit; freely basally branching habit; dense and bushy growth habit; attractive dark purple-colored flowers; freely and continuous flowering habit; resistance to Powdery Mildew; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Phlox paniculata.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Wendy House’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Phlox,botanically known as Phlox paniculata and hereinafter referred to by thename ‘Wendy House’.

The new Phlox is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Haarlem, The Netherlands. The objective of the breedingprogram was to create new compact Phlox cultivars with attractive flowercoloration and Powdery Mildew resistance.

The new Phlox originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventorin 2002 in Haarlem, The Netherlands, of two unidentified selections ofPhlox paniculata, not patented. The new Phlox was discovered andselected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progenyof the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Haarlem,The Netherlands in 2003.

Asexual reproduction of the new Phlox by vegetative cuttings in acontrolled environment in Haarlem, The Netherlands since 2003, has shownthat the unique features of this new Phlox are stable and reproducedtrue to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Wendy House has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature andlight without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe unique characteristics of ‘Wendy House’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Wendy House’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofPhlox:

-   -   1. Upright and compact plant habit.    -   2. Freely basally branching habit; dense and bushy growth habit.    -   3. Attractive dark purple-colored flowers that resist fading.    -   4. Freely and continuous flowering habit.    -   5. Resistant to Powdery Mildew.    -   6. Good garden performance.

Compared to plants of the parent selections, plants of the new Phlox aremore compact and differ in flower coloration.

Plants of the new Phlox can also be compared to plants of the cultivarNichy, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Haarlem,The Netherlands, plants of the new Phlox and the cultivar Nichy differedprimarily in flower color as plants of the cultivar Nichy hadpurple-colored flowers that faded with development. In addition, plantsof the new Phlox were more resistant to Powdery Mildew than plants ofthe cultivar Nichy.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Phlox, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotography may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Phlox. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Wendy House’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown in Haarlem, The Netherlands, undercommercial practice during the summer in an outdoor nursery with daytemperatures ranging from 18° C. to 32° C. and night temperaturesranging from 10° C. to 18° C. Plants were grown for about one year whenthe photograph and description were taken. In the following description,color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Phlox paniculata cultivar Wendy House.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unidentified selection of Phlox            paniculata, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unidentified selection of Phlox            paniculata, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to produce a rooted plant.—About four weeks.        -   Root description.—Fine; white in color.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form/habit.—Upright and compact plant habit; narrow            inverted triangle; moderately vigorous growth habit. Freely            basally branching habit; dense and bushy growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 60 cm.        -   Plant width (spread).—About 41 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 46.5 cm. Diameter: About            5 mm. Internode length: About 3.3 cm. Strength: Strong.            Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144A.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.        -   Length.—About 10.1 cm.        -   Width.—About 3.1 cm.        -   Shape.—Elliptic.        -   Apex.—Apiculate.        -   Base.—Truncate.        -   Margin.—Finely serrate.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: 141A. Developing            leaves, lower surface: 143A. Fully expanded leaves, upper            surface: Slightly darker than 139A; venation, 144B. Fully            expanded leaves, lower surface: 137B, venation, 144C.        -   Petiole.—Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and            lower surfaces: 144B to 144C.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type/habit.—Single rotate and salverform flowers            arranged in terminal panicles; flowers face upright and            outward. Panicles conical in shape. Freely flowering habit            with about 52 flower buds and flowers per inflorescence.        -   Fragrance.—Faint; sweet.        -   Natural flowering season.—Continuously flowering from July            through August in Haarlem, The Netherlands. Flowers not            persistent.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Flowers last about ten days on the            plant.        -   Flower buds.—Height: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.            Shape: Elliptic. Color: 86B to 86C; towards the apex, 86A.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 13.5 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 15.6 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—About 3 cm.        -   Flower depth.—About 2.8 cm.        -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single            whorl; petals fused at the base into a narrow tube. Length:            About 3.4 cm. Lobe width: About 1.8 cm. Shape: Spatulate.            Apex: Retuse. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Developing and fully            expanded petals, upper surface: N78A; towards the base,            N74A; throat, 83B to 83C. With development, color becoming            closer to N80A. Developing and fully expanded petals, lower            surface: N81B; tube, 83B to 83C.        -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single            whorl, fused; narrow tubular calyx. Length: About 1.3 cm.            Width: About 1.5 mm. Calyx shape: Campanulate. Apex:            Narrowly apiculate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, developing sepals, upper            and lower surfaces: Towards the base, 144B; towards the            apex, 146A to 147A. Color, fully expanded sepals, upper and            lower surfaces: Towards the base, 144B; towards the apex,            146A to 147A.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 9.9 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.            Angle: Erect to about 50° from vertical. Strength: Strong.            Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144B; towards the apex,            N186C.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Angle:            About 25° to about 50° from vertical. Strength: Strong.            Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 146B to 146C.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically            five; fused with petals in tube. Filament length: About            1 mm. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther length: About 2 mm.            Anther color: 5D. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: 5D            to 6D. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length:            About 2 cm. Stigma shape: Three-parted. Stigma color: 150D.            Style length: About 1.9 cm. Style color: 150D. Ovary color:            143A.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development have not been            observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Phlox have been noted to    be resistant to Powdery Mildew. Plants of the new Phlox have not    been noted to be resistant to other pathogens and pests common to    Phlox.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Phlox have been observed to    have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and are winter    hardy in The Netherlands.

1. A new and distinct Phlox plant named ‘Wendy House’ as illustrated anddescribed.